


An Imperfect Heist

by RoseAsher



Category: A Heist With Markiplier, Video Blogging RPF, Who Killed Markiplier? (Web Series)
Genre: A retelling of AHWM, Gen, I guess this turned into an ego manor fic, I'm Bad At Tagging, Probably a lot of other Egos too, Rated teen for language, The Dark/Will is in the backgroud, ya'll this is going to be a long story i can feel it!!!!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-01-20 20:02:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21287390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseAsher/pseuds/RoseAsher
Summary: Ava had known Mark for as long as she can remember, which isn’t very long. She lost her Memory. Her entire life changes when she robs a museum and is introduced to someone from her past. Someone who has very good taste in suits.(Basically this is my atempt of giving Y/N a character and connecting A Heist With Markiplier, A Date With Markiplier, and Who Killed Markiplier together in a cohesive story. Spoilers for all series.) (The story turns into a " Y/N gets to meet all the egos and live in the manor" fic in later chapters.
Relationships: Darkiplier/Wilford Warfstache
Comments: 7
Kudos: 54





	1. Going to plan

Ava had known Mark for as long as she can remember, which isn’t very long. Only 3 years. She lost her memory. Her past is an impenetrable void. The first thing she remembers is lying in the foyer of an old manor bleeding from dozens of wounds as she struggles to get up from a sea of broken glass. Mark was there looking down at her with genuine concern in his eyes. He claims that he just happened to drive by when he heard a scream echo from the manor. He claims that the fully stocked First Aid Kit was coincidently in the car’s trunk.

She didn’t fully believe him, but what else could she do? He was the one who took her to the hospital, the one that payed the medical bills, and when her memory failed to return, he took her in. The only reason her name is Ava is because Mark once offhandedly said that she looked like an Ava, and so Ava she became. In didn’t take long for her to realize that her savior was a powerful member of the criminal underworld. He was able to get her a fake passport and drivers license so her sudden existence was approved by the government. He said something about calling in a favor. She honestly didn’t mind; she had a sneaking suspicion that her past wasn’t entirely clean either. Mark gave her a job. She worked for him. At first, she was the lookout for various house robberies, then a getaway driver, then an assistant. Before she knew it, she was equipped with all the skills of a true criminal, lockpicking, marksmanship, deception, you name it. Ava and Mark soon became partners, taking turns planning heists and splitting the profits 50/50.  
One day they were sitting in Mark's van that they called The Barrel while staking out a minor celebrity’s home. She asked Mark why he does this? what caused him to become a master thief?

“It’s fun!” came his flippant reply with the huge dumb smile she knew too well. She looked at him incredulously. 

“Its true!” he continued. “I’ve done so much in my life that I needed to do something new. Something big and exciting and dangerous. This career seems to do the trick.” 

“What did you do before this.” Mark laughed as his eyes sparked with an intensity she didn't often see.

“Oh, all sorts of things! I was an explorer, a minor league baseball player, a cryptozoologist, a lion tamer, but before all that I was a fairly famous actor.” 

Ava scoffs. “No fucking way!” 

“It’s true, I was in everything from musicals to award winning dramas. I had enough money too own a house like that” He pointed to the opulent building they were staking out. “I even had a…” 

Mark’s words stopped dead as something strange came across his face. Worry crept into Ava’s stomach. She rarely ever sees this goofy narcissistic dumbass of a man become so serious. She Breaks the mood by asking  
“Well if you’re in all these movies, why don’t you show me one.”

“Oh well uh…” Mark manages to get out. “I didn’t do movies, they were plays mostly, so you can’t see them even if you wanted to.” 

“That’s a shame, it would have been fun seeing your over acting ass make a fool of yourself.” 

“Shut up.” Mark laughed as he lightly socked her in the arm. 

A few weeks later they were both standing in front of one of the most highly guarded museums in the Los Angeles area. It was Mark’s turn to choose the target. Ava wasn’t surprised when he chose the ancient box. He constantly talked about it for what felt like forever, always on about how it will change their lives. Whenever she asks what’s in the box, Mark always gave her a smile that sent a shiver up her spin “It’s a surprise.” That was all he would say about it.  
The initial steps of the heist went by in a whirlwind, everything went according to plan. Before she knew it, they had the box and Mark was holding a flint lock pistol and a lit bomb. THE BOMB WAS ALLREADY FUCKING LIT! It was times like this when she wondered why she always puts up with his bullshit. Ava pulled Mark into the sewer entrance as she yelled at him to put away the weapons. The next few minutes was more akin to babysitting then two professional burglars working together. Mark kept wanting the split up and Ava kept saying that it was a dumb idea. 

“Have you even seen a single episode of Scooby-Doo?” She said, frustration seeping from her voice. Mark just shrugged. 

Finally, Mark’s insistence got the better of her and she reluctantly agreed to split up. What happened next made absolutely no sense to her. Portraits of people she has never seen, cryptic messages popping up on her phone despite the fact she couldn’t get a signal down there. All of this led her to standing face to face with what looked like Mark’s evil twin. 

He was physically hard to look at. Her brain struggled to make sense of what she was seeing. Trying to wrap her mind around the shifting images and the logic breaking abilities of the man made her head hurt. Something deep inside her gut told her she was seeing something that should not exist. 

“Same snake, different skin.” The familiar stranger said in the manner of a politician giving a speech. “Always spinning his yarns, his webs, his lies.” 

“Umm… what the hell is going on?” Ava interrupted his speech with a voice that was much higher than she was used to. 

The man’s calm face shifted to total confusion.  
“I beg your pardon?” He asked. 

A million questions flew out of her mouth.  
“who are you? Where am I? why do you look like Mark? Also why do you look so weird? It’s like I’m looking at a black and white film or something.” 

The man just stared at Ava, dumbstruck. He finally spoke again by saying “I didn’t know you could speak.” 

“What? Of course I can speak. why wouldn’t I?” 

“I beg your pardon.” The man said, as he somewhat bashfully looked down while lancing his fingerers together. “I had reason to believe that you were more of a vessel for many and less of your own person. But this is fantastic news! It means you have made more progress then I have anticipated.” 

Well… this just adds more questions 

“WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!!!!!” she yelled. She really hated when her emotions got the batter of her, but this was a situation where social norms don't apply. The man brandishes his teeth like some sort of animal trapped in a cage. His duo-toned aura flew around him violently. 

“Could you settle down! I am trying to answer all your questions.” 

Ava folded her arms and raised an eyebrow in a manner that says, “I’m waiting.”

The man sighed as he straightened his tie.  
“However, your question about my identity is a hard one to answer.”

She buried her face into her hands. 

“Honestly I am not trying to be facetious” he said “I myself am not enterally positive about who or what I am.” 

“Ok well… do you have a name or something at least” 

“I call myself Dark.” Was his reply. He seemed to gain his composure; a confident smile retuned to his face. 

“well alright Dark…” Ava began, stuffing her hands into her pockets. “I love the mystery of this and everything, but I really got to go.” 

“Are you serious!” Dark deadpanned

“Yeah… because you see, my partner and I just stole this really valuable item and we’re trying to escape right now. He’s alone and he’ll get himself killed if I’m not with him.” 

“Well I doubt that.” Dark muttered under his breath. “I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to Ava. But keep in mind that you can always find me. Just make the same decisions you made the first time.” 

“How do you know my…” before Ava could finish her sentence, she was standing outside of the museum, a full 4 hours before the heist was scheduled to begin. She had a feeling that this was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Y'all! hope you liked the first chapter of my first fanfic! I don't know how long this story will be. I defiantly have enough ideas for a few more chapters. I'm basically prying to the writing gods that I won't get cursed with writer's block. I also don't know when the next update will be. I'm in collage and that's my top priority. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading. Have a good day!


	2. Over and Over and Over

Have you ever turned into a zombie twice in one day? Ava has, and that wasn’t even the worst thing that happened to her in the following few hours. She and Mark were trapped in a seemingly unending cycle of hijinks and mayhem. The world never fully made sense to her, but even since she met that “Dark” character, reality decided to take a vacation. 

She encountered pirates, Monkey Heaven, a full-on prison musical number, and countless other things. And no matter what she did she always ended back with Mark looking at her with his stupid lit bomb. 

Despite all of this insanity, one thing kept replaying in her mind. When she and Mark fell into the cave that lead to the suave adventurer, Mark picked himself off the floor and forced his newly broken bones back into position with a sickening crack. 

Ava knew that Mark’s body didn't work like it should. She first realized it about a year ago when a heist of theirs’s went very wrong. An armed security guard shot Mark in the chest multiple times. Ava dragged his limp body behind cover. She hurried to stop the bleeding and found that there was no bleeding to stop. Mark’s blood seemed to be congealed to the point where it didn’t flow. She searched for a pulse and found there was none. Tears streamed from her eyes as she mourned the death of the only person in this world who had helped her. A few moments later and Mark’s eyes snapped open. With a huge gasp he coughed up blood that was so dark it was almost black. 

“How?!” she was able to get out. “How are you alive?” 

Mark gave her a slime that was meant to be charming but was distorted by the agony he was in.  
“It’s a long story.” 

For weeks after the incident, Ava saw herself become physically distant from him. Every time he grew close, she would reflexively inch away from him. She didn’t know if he could die, but if he could, it would take far more than any regular person. This scared her. But it scared her even more that he couldn’t trust her with the truth. 

It was small moments like this, when he takes a fall and quickly fixes a broken bone, that she remembers that her charismatic goofball of a heist partner was not entirely human. 

And so, the loops continued. She almost thought she escaped form this torture. A handsome prisoner helped her escape from a penitentiary. She looked down at the skeleton key in her hand. She wondered if she should turn right back around and free the kind Broadway enthusiast. 

Then she blinked and she was right back at the beginning. Flintlock pistol. Bomb. Smiling idiot 

She has had enough. 

“GET IN THE FUCKING HOLE.” She screamed. Mark looked at her with complete shock as he followed her order. 

“It seems you are back.” Dark said, leaning against the desk like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Yeah… it seems so.” Ava said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. “What the hell do I need to do for you to release me from this loop?” 

“Me!” mock surprise filled his voice. “I have nothing to do with the loop, I am merely a spectator in this situation.”

“If you can’t tell me how to get out of the loop why should I even bother with you?” 

“Because I have answers, answers to much more important questions.” 

Ava sighed and brought her hand up to rub her forehead. She could already feel a headache coming on.

“Questions like why a crazy man with no pants interviewed me and then tried to kill me?” 

“Oh! So, you met Wil. I am sorry about that. I will have a stern talk with him about that later."

“About the killing me thing or the no pants thing.” 

“Both.” As he said this as a small smile spread across his face. It was probably to most genuine emotion she had seen him express.

“You didn’t answer my question from last time.” Ava said in a serious tone, determined to make some progress. “Why do you look like Mark?” 

“The more appropriate question is why does Mark look like me.” 

“Oh my god!” Ava cut in, “You love this shit don’t you? The mystery, the deception of it all?” 

Dark gave a small laugh and admitted. “It’s important to enjoy the small things even if your life is filled with tragedy, don’t you agree? Mark’s body it not his own. He stole it from me.” 

“From you?” Ava’s voice went up an octave from disbelief 

“Yes, from me… well from us… from someone important to me. My goal is to get it back. I bet you noticed that there were a few others who shared a resemblance with him on your journey.”

It was true, the prisoner, the pirate and the adventure all looked and sounded a lot like Mark. Honestly that was the last thing she noticed amongst all the other insanity going on. 

Dark noticed that what he said resonated with her. 

“Here, have a seat. This could take a while” He pulled out a rolling chair from behind the desk. As Ava sat, she realized that her feet hurt, and her legs were exhausted from hours of running. 

“Well go on.” She begrudgingly said. 

Dark hopped up and the desk and sat facing her, his legs lazily dangling like a child. The way he moved fascinated her. His small mannerisms changed every few minutes, like multiple things in him were constantly fighting for airtime. 

“Mark told you he was an actor correct?” 

She nodded.

“This is true, Mark was an actor of both playhouses and the silver screen. Every time he played a character after… the incident, they would become real, branch off and become their own beings. For example, in 1944 he played a criminal with a heart of gold in the Broadway musical Freedom Is Not for Me. In 1981 he starred in the adventure movie classic Illinois Owens and The Curse of The Monkey Idol. In 1992 he was a kind and Nobel Pirate in the children’s film The Search for Candy Island.” 

Ava’s stomach filled with dread. This was far too strange for her to fully understand. 

“And you? Were you a character that Mark played? 

“OH GOD NO!” Dark put a hand to his chest with absolute dismay. “No, Wil and I are quite different. We call these accidental creations of Mark’s Egos."

“And there are more of them?” 

“Many! A cannibal game show host, a murderous robot, a peanut butter crazed squirrel king. Take your pick.” Dark’s eyes grew wide as her remembered something he found funny. “One-time Mark played a doctor on one of those horrendous cable TV medical shows. He only had one line “I’m sorry, you’re dying” Dr. Iplier was able to become his own person, but it doesn’t stop the others from mocking him endlessly.” 

“Wait!” Something just hit Ava that flew by her head the first time. “1944!? How old is Mark?” 

“Hmm…” Dark looked up in thought. “123 years I think… he was born in 1896, a few years before yourself.” 

Something snapped in Ava’s head and she stood up with a start. This was too much. She could not process it. 

“I have to go.” she said as she hurried towards the exit. 

“Ava you can’t!” Dark’s voice distorted into something different. His familiar masculine voice was joined by a feminine one which was fainter and filled with much more rage. 

“No, I’m not going to wait. I am so tired of waiting! I know Mark better than I know anyone else in the world. He is kind, and loyal, and only steals from people who deserve it. So, if he really stole your body, then you must have done something horrible to deserve it.” 

And like that she out, back at the start. Same flint lock pistol, same bomb, same smiling idiot. It took her a few more loops to break the cycle. It took her almost being killed by a crazed scientist, but she made it. She stood outside the museum yet again, but this time with a sense of finality. She wanted the cry, wanted to sleep for a thousand year. She couldn’t do any of that however, because Mark said something that somehow was the most surprising part of the night. 

“You want to go on that date?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well look at that...  
I was not expecting to finish that chapter this fast, but here we are. It was partially because I was obsessing over this story so much that it hurts not the write it. But also I was motivated by the support I got on this story. HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS!!!! I definitely wasn"t expecting for so many people to read it. Thank you so much!
> 
> Btw it's important to note that Markiplier the Youtuber dosen't exist in this story. Its only Actor Mark AKA Mark Iplier the immortal asshole who likes to steal stuff. 
> 
> I hoped you like my headcannon on how egos are created. It's been in my head for so long so it feels great to share it. 
> 
> The next chapter will come out eventually so follow the story if you want. 
> 
> Thanks again and see you at the date ;)


	3. Chocolate

When Mark suggested the date, it was less like “Forget the heist, let’s go on a date right now!” and more like “Hey… let’s go on a date sometime.” Ava was grateful for this because the second she got home she collapsed on her bed. She slept for 19 hours straight. She had no idea how long the loop actually lasted for, but it felt like days. 

Mark on the other hand didn’t remember any of it. From his perspective they were about to go on the heist and then they both decided that they weren’t prepared enough to risk it. Thinking about it makes her laugh. It’s funny that for once she remembered more than he did. 

Mark and Ava lived in different apartments in the same building. It each gave them privacy while being close enough to plan heists together. The promise of an eventual date hanging in the air made all their interactions resonate with uncertainty. When they happened to see each other in the halls how should she act. Should she greet him just as a friend and pretend nothing has happened?

When Mark flippantly proposed the date, she was shocked, because she was the one to always suggested the date and Mark always rejected her. Mark explained that It has been a very long time since he was in a relationship. It ended horribly. The women he loved betrayed him and ran off with one of his best friends. He told Ava that if he were to date again, he worries that it will uncover painful memories that have been buried.

Ava wonders why he suddenly changed his mind without any warning. Maybe it was because he was so intrigued by her that he was willing to take a risk. Although she was excited for the date, the possibility that she would open up old wounds made her extremely anxious. 

The date happed a few weeks after the heist. Ava put on her deep blue dress. She bought it a year ago for a job she and Mark did. Part of it involved attending a fundraising gala at a grand private estate. She hasn’t had an opportunity to ware it since because it wasn’t like professional thieves were invited to parties that often. When she met Mark outside, she saw that he was wearing the same gray suit form the heist, cementing her suspicion that he only owned one. 

Dinner was lovely if not a little hectic. It was clear that Mark has told the truth about not dating for a while because he could not shut up. Whenever Mark got flustered (which wasn’t that often) he would dominate the entire conversation without letting everyone else participate. It was like he believed that talking enough would get all the nerves out of his system. Ava honestly didn’t mind. She was happy to sit there and listen to his stories, some of them true, some of them obviously fake. Having 3 years’ worth of memories wasn’t a lot to draw upon for conversation. 

It was a kind of a dick move for him to basically force her into paying for both their meals, but she chose to ignore it. She decided that she was going to have a good time no matter what. 

As they left the restaurant Mark turned to her with a dumb smile and excitement practically seeping from his body langue.  
“Guess where we’re going next!” Mark made it very clear that he wanted this date to be a series of surprises, so Ava genuinely didn’t know. 

“We are going to see a play!” as they both got into Mark’s car, he rattled on about the amazing reviews it got and the names of all the main actors. Seeing him this happy made her smile. It was sweet that he was introducing her to something he loved. Even though he didn’t act anymore it was clear that the theatrical arts remained his main passion. 

Despite this, Ava felt she needed to address something before it was too late. 

Right before Mark was going to pullout of the parking lot, Ava looked to him and said “Hey, can you wait a moment?”  
“Ok…” Mark looked back at her, slight worry etched onto his face. 

Ava looked down and watched as her hands idly lace themselves in her lap. She took a deep breath and said “look, I know you haven’t told me everything, and I’ve been ok with that. You get to choose how much of your past you share with others. But if we are going to have a real relationship that’s beyond friendship, I need to know that you trust me.”  
Ava continued to look down, too scared to see how Mark reacts. 

“I know that you are not… entirely normal. I’ve seen you not die despite your wounds, and some stories you tell indicate that you have been alive a very long time.” 

She looked back at him. “I deserve to know the truth.” 

Mark took a huge breath that shook with emotion as he ran a hand though his hair.  
“Ava, you’re right. You do deserve to know the truth and I feel like an absolute ass for not telling you sooner.” 

Before either of them knew it, they were holding hands. It just sort of happened, like it was the right thing to do. His hand was warm and reassuring. 

“Ava look at me.” She looked into his eyes and saw a man who was forcing himself to be serious. 

“I promise that I will tell you everything. But not right now. Can we for just tonight pretend we are two normal people going on a normal Date?” 

“Ok” she replied with a small smile. 

Ava knew that Mark wasn’t that good of a person. (He was a professional thief for God sake!) But when Ava looked at Mark, she was someone who was trying to a better person every single day. That is the only thing that mattered. 

With the elephant in the room addressed, they both became more relaxed, laughing and telling dumb jokes all the way to the theatre. When they walked in, she even hung onto Mark’s arm like they were a real couple. 

This didn’t last long, however. Nothing in Ava’s fractured life seemed to last long. 

As the play began a familiar ringing sound consumed her hearing as the theater distorted and fractured into mirror images of itself. 

Ava sighed and sunk into her chair.  
“Well shit” she said to herself. 

“How is the date going?” Dark asked nonchalantly as if they were two old friends catching up. 

She was already sitting this time. Dark and herself were on opposite sides of a table set for a romantic dinner. Dark had exchanged his white suit for a perfect replica of Mark’s. She felt like she was being told a joke she didn’t have the context to understand. 

“The date was going great actually, until some fucking edgelord kidnaped me.” 

Dark chuckled at this. “Ava, I did not kidnap you. Do you honestly think I would stoop that low? If I had the ability to summon anyone to me against their will, I assure you that Mark wouldn’t be a problem.” 

His eyes grew hard and the ringing increased to an almost unbearable level.

Dark pulled out a bottle of wine from seemingly nowhere and proceeded to poor each of them a glass. 

“As I have told you before, I will never force you to do anything. Your presence here means you wanted to see me.” 

Ava’s eyebrows knitted together. Unfortunately, it was true. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her. Ever since the heist she secretly wanted to see Dark again. She would rather die then tell him that whoever. 

“What’s this.” She gestured to her wine glass “The blood of the innocent?”

“No…” Dark said, frustration seeping from his voice “it is a 1968 vintage cabernet. I thought it would be appropriate considering we are on a date.” 

Ava gasped and said, “We certainly are not!” 

“Goodness ava, it was just a joke.” Dark took a slow sip from his own glass. “In any case I am already taken.”  
Ava wasn’t sure if that was also a joke. 

She reached for her glass an took a drink. It was fantastic, much better than anything she had with Mark. 

“look…I’m sorry about what I said to you last time. It was uncalled for. I don’t know enough about any of this to assume you are horrible.” 

Dark gave a sigh that seemed to resonate throughout the void. “No, if anything I am the one who should apologize. I revealed too much far to quickly. I hope you understand that I have been pushed aside, replaced, and mocked for my entire existence. My hatred of Mark clouded my judgment.” 

“Wow!” Ava said, giving a light laugh. “It sounds like you are Mark’s ex or something.” 

Dark’s red aura momentarily engulfed the blue one “Well I was married to the bastard.” 

Ava’s mouth fell open with absolute surprise. It was clear that Dark also did not expect to say that. His eyes were wide, and he looked like he had no idea what to do. His aura resumed to its normal state as he struggled to move the conversation along. 

“It appears that I cannot speak around my identity forever. I am comprised of two different souls. One was Mark’s best friend and the other was Mark’s ex-wife. I am neither of them. I am instead a combination of the two. However, sometimes one momentarily takes complete control. That is what you just witnessed.” 

Ava had no idea what to say after the revelation. Luckily, she didn’t have to decide because she was suddenly back in the real world. Mark came out of fucking nowhere and attacked Dark. Before she knew it. she was holding a gun and too people who looked exactly like Mark were claiming they were the real one. Dark waring Mark’s same suit suddenly made a lot more sense. He probably expected something like this would happen.

She stood there; hands slightly shook as she considered both their arguments. She took a deep breath and exhaled as she pulled the trigger, just like Mark taught her. The man on the left looked up, betrayal spread across his face. He fell to the ground, motionless. 

The other Mark looked at her “You made the right call.” He said 

Ava looked at him and said, “Dark is that you?” 

The man agonized over his response before finally saying “Yes.” 

“Good.” Ava flipped the safety back on the gun and put it in her purse. “God, I want some ice cream.” 

Dark just looked at her like she was an impossible thing

Ava gave a wavering smile. “look, I just shot my best friend for you. Getting me some ice cream is the least you could do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Old timey radio announcer voice) “Next time on An Imperfect Heist, The return of Yancy and Wilford, as well as many other egos. Will Ava adjust to her new life of uncertainty? How will the other egos react to her? Will mark forgiver her for being momentarily killed? WHAT KIND OF ICE CREAM WILL SHE GET?!?!? Only time will tell!”
> 
> Again, thank you so much to everyone who reads this story! I am having a blast writing it. Next, I really want to dig into Who Killed Markiplier and see how Ava finding out the truth will affect her. 
> 
> As always, I don’t know when the next update will be, but it will come out at some point. It will defiantly take longer because I have a lot of stuff to do for school.  
Thank you all again! Have a good day or night or whatever. :)


	4. Moving Day

Luckily for both of them, an ice cream parlor wasn’t far away. Ava and Dark sat on the patio, chocolate ice cream in her bowl and vanilla in his. She silently eat her dessert without looking up, as if not acknowledging his presence will make him disappear. Dark shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Ava dared a glance up and saw his eyes squeezed tight and his fists clenched. 

“Excuse me.” He said, as the familiar encompassing gloom and monochrome color scheme returned. 

“I cannot suppress my aura for very long. It becomes… unpleasant.” He explained. He straightened his tie. Not because it was askew, it was more out of a habit.  
Ava knew by the way he lanced his fingers on the table that it was her time to talk. Her time to explain. She took a deep breath and pushed her ice cream aside. 

“Before you ask, yes I shot Mark on purpose.” Saying the words out loud sounded hollow. She still couldn’t fully believe what happened. 

“I suppose the reason was when you made that argument, you sounded so genuine. You said Mark was a liar and does bad things to good people. I know that’s true. I’ve experienced it myself. He has been keeping things from me for as long as I’ve known him. And what we do… it’s not entirely ethical. So, I guess what I’m saying is, I’m willing to trust you, well at least give it a go. That, and its not like he’s going to die.” 

At this Dark laughed. He looked so much like Mark when he did. It was unnerving, lines crinkle around his eyes in the exact same way.  
“I appreciate that Ava. I really do.” 

“However,” she said cutting him off. “This isn’t a permanent alliance ok? I reserve the right to go back to Mark whenever I want. From now on you are going to answer all my questions.” 

His calculating eyes looked at her, but he seemed far off, like there was some sort of internal debate.  
“All right.” He said, “That all sounds perfectly fair.” 

Ava enjoyed the small moment of relief before a realization hit her like a truck 

“Well shit… I’m basically homeless. Mark and I live in the same apartment building. There is no way I can go back there now. Mark will be furious if he sees me. We need time apart.”

“Not to worry. You can stay with me.” Dark said abruptly standing up. He must have seen trepidation wash over Ava’s face because he continued by saying “We will not be alone, quite the opposite in fact. All the egos I told you about before, as well as Will and and myself, all live together. We can easily set up a guest room for you. It will be temporary of course.” 

Ava was still uncomfortable with the prospect. She was close to walking away and finding a cheap hotel to crash at for a few days, but she admitted to herself that if answers were really what she wanted, then being is proximity to Dark was beneficial. 

“Yancy is also there.” Dark said, interrupting her thoughts. 

“What?!” 

A small smile grew across his face. He knew he won. 

“Yancy moved in with us a few days ago. He has been adjusting… somewhat poorly. He has been mentioning you often so I figure that seeing you again will boost his spirits.”  
Ava also desperately wanted to see Yancy again. He was by far the best thing that happened to her during that hellish time loop. She had every intention of making visitation day, but she dreaded the idea of the penitentiary staff recognizing her. Guilt of his weighed heavy in her chest.

“All right” she said, standing up and forcing a cheerful demeanor. 

Dark raised his hand up in the air. Ava noticed that the pinky ring he wore when she first met him miraculously appeared on his finger. The ring glowed as he meticulously traced out a shape of a doorway. Ava blinked and suddenly a door appeared. A large elegant looking door made to sturdy dark brown oak hung in the air waiting to be opened.  
Air caught is my Ava’s throat and her eyes grew wide, but really, it was one of the more normal things to happen to her. 

“Well then…” Dark said extending a hand for her to take. Ava did and was astonished by how cold his hand was. It wasn’t as cold as ice and didn’t cause any form of discomfort. Instead ava was reminded of a crisp autumn day. It was sort of pleasant.

Dark opened the door 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Darkiplier and Ava step through the trans dimensional door into the manor’s foyer. Ava is astonished by the size and grandeur of the room. She admires the marble floors and the grand staircase that leads up to the manor’s many floors. She wonders what lies behind the many doors leading out of the foyer. Darkiplier lets go of her hand and surveys the room to see who is there. Ava notices the Host’s narrations.” 

After Ava was done staring in awe at the room, she saw a man muttering to himself and sitting in a simple chair that leaned against a wall. He seemed perfectly normal despite the bandages wrapped around his eyes 

“Host.” Dark said snapping the man out of his trance “Could you refrain from narrating for now? We have a guest and newcomers can be unnerved by it.  
The Host raised his head toward the two of them “Of courses. The Host agrees. The Host apologizes to miss Ava for his behavior.” 

“Umm… Thank you?” Ava said 

The Host nodded at her and left through one of the many doorways. 

Ava looked at Dark and asked “Where are we? I mean, I don’t know what I was expecting but it wasn’t this” 

“Beautiful isn’t it?” Dark said, obviously filling himself with pride. “Will and I built it ourselves. Well, to be honest we both designed the place, but I did the majority of the actual work.” 

Ava was about to ask him what he meant by “building”, but Dark interrupted her by saying. “There is a lot to accomplish before you can start to live here. The questions can wait.”  
With that he led her into another room. 

Ava found herself in a cozy and modern looking living room. It had all the modern conveniences one would expect, and the room was filled with comfortable and inviting looking couches and chairs. If the Foyer was a grand entrance to impress guests, then this room was a more personal space made for the comfort of the manor’s residents.  
Ava audibly gasped when she noticed who was there. 

“Yancy?!” 

Yancy was playing a board with another man in a lab coat, pieces scattered across the coffee table.  
“Ava! Oh my god!” Yancy stood up to greet her. He looked almost the same as last time. The only differences being that his face was completely healed, and he traded with prisoner’s pants for an average pair of jeans. 

“How the hell are youse do’in?” 

With this he rushed over and picked Ava up in a huge hug. She laughed with joy, hugging him back. 

“Hey put me down!” She said through her laughs. He gently put her down and Ava answered his question. 

“I’m fine… things have been kind of crazy lately, but I’m figuring it out. And seeing you makes me feel a lot better. How about you? What’s it like being on the outside?”  
Yancy rubs the back of his neck without thinking, obviously becoming anxious. 

“Oh, ya know… It’s a process adjusting to everything. And that’s not even mentioning the whole thing about how my life is a lie, and I’m just a fictional character that was from a musical in the 40’s that was performed by a madman.” 

He said this all in one breath. Ava saw the fear mounting in his eyes, so she quickly changed the topic.

“Yancy, I’m so sorry I didn’t visit you. Its just so much was happening to me and I…” 

“It’s Ok.” Yancy said taking her into a calmer hug. “I understand, and it doesn’t really matter. We’re both here now.” 

Their reunion was interrupted when Dark cleared his throat. “Yancy, Ava is in the process of moving in, you will have plenty of time to talk to her later.” 

Yancy let go of Ava and looked at Dark. There was a brief flash of something in he eyes. Frustration, distrust, anger even? But it quickly dissipated into a smile  
“Yeah ok, I gotta do something else anyway. See yose later Ava” 

Ava gave a small wave goodbye as he left the room. 

At that moment a voice spoke directly behind her “I’m sorry, you’re dying!” 

Ava nearly jumped out of her skin. She spun around and saw the man in the lab coat. He looked exactly like Mark… well if Mark was clean shaven and wore glasses.  
“Oh, I’m sorry…” the man stumbled over himself trying to fix the situation. “Forget about it. It’s just an inside joke… a really bad one actually. Hi I’m Dr.Iplier. Nice to meet you.” He held out his hand to shake and she accepted.

Dark turned to Dr. Iplier and asked him “Would you show Ava to her room and then around the rest of the manor if you have the time? I need to get out of this damnable suit.” He gestured to the grey suit, slightly disheveled from his brawl with Mark. He held himself like he was in the worst, most disgusting thing in the universe. 

“Sure, thing boss.” Iplier said giving him a sarcastic salute.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Iplier lead Ava to a regular looking elevator. She took a double take at the sleek door  
“There’s an elevator in here?” 

“Yeah. You think we go up and down that staircase all the time? It’s just for show. This is the real way to get around.” 

As they entered the elevator, Ava was almost knocked back with surprise when she saw that the manor had over 20 floors.  
“How big is this manor anyway?” 

“Honestly I’m not sure. This place is always growing. Actually, Dark made a new room for you. You see… the manor doesn’t exist in what you call the “real world” It’s in a place we call the void. A separate dimension that is made of pure energy. Dark and Wilford can use this energy to make things. They made the manor and everything in it. Don’t ask me how they do it. I have no idea; it isn’t my job to know. My job is to keep everyone healthy which is much harder than it sounds. You will not believe how much trouble all these idiots get themselves into!” 

Ava was left momentarily speechless. Letting the information wash over her. The elevator made a pleasant ding. Iplier turned to her and said with a smile “We’re here”  
The too exited the elevator and entered a spacious hallway. The floor was a deep brown hard wood and the walls were lined with an elegant red and gold wallpaper in a Victorian style 

“Do you mind if we stopped by my office. I have to get something really quick.” 

“I don’t mind.” Ava said in response. And why should she? The realization of the manor’s scale filled her with excitement. She wanted to see as much of this place as she could.

They both entered the doctor’s office. It was much simpler than the rest of the manor. A modest room with a desk in that corner and various medical equipment meticulously sorted. The only evidence of a personal touch was a section filled with planted plants, mainly succulents. However, the one thing that caught her attention was the window. A small window shown outside of the manor. As she got closer, she saw that the exterior of the manor was surrounded by a lush garden bursting with colorful flowers. And beyond that lay a dense forest stretching off into the distance. 

“How is this possible?” Ava said gesturing towards the window. 

“That’s just an illusion.” Iplier said as he dug through a drawer in his desk, not even bothering to turn around. “The garden and the lawn are real, but if you walk far enough away from the manor, the illusion breaks, and you see it’s just void. Its there because looking and endless darkness all day is kind of depressing.” 

Ava turned away from the window to view the rest of the room. She noticed a shelf filled with files, all with different names. She assumed that there was a file for each member of the manor. The one with Dark’s name was by far the largest, practically bursting with information. 

Ava knew that the answers she seeks lay within.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’M BACK!!!!!!!!  
In the next chapter: the revival of what’s in the file, and Wilford makes an appearance (finally!)


	5. Some Answers, Some Mayhem

Ava looked up at the full manila file. It seemed so normal. Identical to any other file in any other office building. The idea that a normal exterior can hold such unnatural and secret information unnerved her. 

“Hey, uh… doctor.” She said to her companion, still not sure what she should call him. 

“Yeah?” he said, popping out from behind his desk, just barely catching his glasses before they fell to the floor. 

“Could I look at that file?” she pointed to Dark’s file. 

Iplier’s face shifted from pleasant to distraught. “Well I…” he stammered “I wouldn’t be a doctor if I broke patient confidentiality when ever I wanted would I?” A nervous laugh escaped as he put his glasses back into place. 

“I understand but, Dark promised that he would answer all my questions. He’s busy right now, but I bet if he was here then he would say it’s ok.” 

Iplier narrowed his eyes at her “Are you sure? That doesn’t sound like him at all! He is a very private person. The only people who know everything about him are Wilford and The Host. But The Host loves to keep everything to himself, that prick.” He said this last part with a huge smile, as if it was a genuine compliment. 

Ava just looked at him. Her eyes begged for him to understand. 

Iplier’s body language grew exponentially more jittery. It was clear that he was someone who could not keep secrets easily. He loves his work too much to keep it hidden. 

“Ok fine.” He said at last “But you can’t tell anyone about this. And I mean ANYONE! Or else half of the people in this house will kill me.” 

He took the file down from the shelf and grunted as it’s full wait landed in his hands. He flopped it on the desk, as the two of them sat on opposite sides. 

“Dark might act all powerful and all knowledgeable, but there is a lot he doesn’t know. He body is … new to him somehow, so he asked me to investigate it, to find out how it works. I put him through every medical test I could imagine, and the results were absolutely astonishing!” His hands floated across the file with excitement, like a child about to open their present on Christmas morning. 

“And he payed you to do this?” Ava asked 

Iplier laughed “Nope! Having access to the most interesting medical specimen in history was payment enough.” 

The way he said that caused a knot to form in Ava’s stomach. It reminded her that it was unwise to let her guard down in front of anyone in the manor. 

“God, where do I even start?” he said as he flipped through the massive file. He stopped at one point, grabbed a large photo and slid it at Ava. “I suppose this is as a good place to start as any.”

Ava took the photo into her hands as her eyes widened. It was an X-ray, one showing a human torso. A few ribs and right collar bone were cracked in multiple places. The spine’s many disks were all detached from each other. The bones in the figure’s neck were so damaged that they appeared more like dust then bones. 

“This is Dark.” Ava said. It wasn’t a question. It was impossible for someone to walk around with these injuries. Yet another imposable thing Dark can do see supposed.

“It’s not just the bones either” Dr. Iplier interrupted her thoughts “He also has extensive damage in most of his vital organs, and a gunshot wound in his stomach. But I’m not going to show you those pictures. They can be kind of … graphic” 

Ava noted that her vision started to blur. Hearing about the gunshot wound spiked anxiety throughout her body. It was probably her experience with guns. She knew how much damage they can cause. But there was something else that lurked in the back of her mind. A part of her knew that she played a part in all of this somehow.

“Does it hurt him? Ava asked. She chided herself for the question. Of Couse it hurts! what a dumb thing to ask. But it was the only thing her mind could lock onto. 

“More than either you or I can know.” Came the doctor’s response “I can’t help with the pain either. All pain medication needs a functioning bloodstream and heart to circulate it throughout the body. Without the movement, the medication just sits there and doesn’t do anything.”

Ava looks at Dr.Iplier with sheer confusion.

“Oh, sorry. I should have told you sooner. Dark is dead. Well, at least in the medical sense. He can still do almost everything a living person can do, however. Before you ask me, I have no idea how it works. It’s the reason this case is so interesting it the first place!” 

Ava should be surprised. Instead everything just clicked into place. She felt like she always knew this. She remembers how cold his hand felt. She also thinks back to all their interactions. Was he breathing? Its hard to remember, but she doesn’t think he was. A smile spread across her face. She knew two men who looked almost exactly alike. One was dead and the other one could not die. You would have to be blind to not see the humor in it. 

Dr.Iplier frowned and slightly tilted his head. “Ava, are you ok?” 

“Yes … sorry. I was just thinking.” 

Iplier just kept looking at her. It was clear that he was expecting a different reaction from her. The awkward silence broke when his phone's text alert went off. He fished the phone out of his pocket and looked at it. 

“Ah shit! Sorry but we have to get to your room now. Wilford is moving all your stuff in.” 

“By himself?” Ava asked. She didn’t own a lot, but it was enough to require a few people to move It. 

“You’ll see.” The doctor responded as they both left the office.  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Her room was down a long hallway. It was the only one. Seeing the single door in a sea of empty walls was simultaneously a discomforting and hilarious sight. She might have read too much into it, but she saw it as an act curtesy. If Dark and Wilford truly had the ability to change the manor’s layout to their liking, then this strange private section of the manor was made for her to feel safe. 

Ava pushed the door open to find a clean and decent sized room. It was practically an empty box with a plain double bed, nightstand, lamp, wardroom, and a single window to the outside. A clean slate for her to customize. See was also surprised that she had her own on-suite bathroom. If the laws of physics didn’t apply, then might as well let everyone have their own bathroom. 

“This is it! If want any changes, take it up with the boss.” Iplier said.

Ava looked back at him and smiled “No, this is great! It’s better than my apartment actually. So, you said Wilford was bringing my stuff, But I still have my key…” 

At that moment the room filled with an overwhelming puff of pink smoke, that smelled slightly of cotton candy. “SPECIAL DELIVERY!!!” A familiar booming voice called out from the center of the cloud. As the smoke cleared, the spontaneous figure revealed himself. The suspenders, the mustache, the odd way his expression could be simultaneously friendly and terrifying. It could be no one else but the intrepid reporter, Wilford Warfstache. Luckily, he was wearing pants this time.

Wilford stood on the floor as the entirety of Ava’s possessions floated around him, already organized in large carboard boxes. He snapped his fingers and the boxes dropped on the ground. Hard. Some of them spilled their contents, making the pristine room more akin to a messy teenager’s. 

“Wilford!” Dr.Iplier reprimanded him. “You could have put everything gently”

“I could have…” came Wilford’s reply before he was distracted by Ava.

“Do I know you?” he asked as he stepped closer to her and pointed a finger a bit to close to her face.” 

“Yeah, I’m Ava, you interviewed me a month ago.” She stuck out her hand for him to shake. 

His eyes grew wide with instant realization. “Ah… yes Ava! Avaavabobavabananafanafofava!!! Darky has talked a lot about you. He says that we are going to get along swimmingly!” He took Ava’s hand and shook it. Vigorously. 

“Hey, I got to go.” said Dr.Iplier over the boisterous reunion. “If he tries to murder you just yell for help.” 

“What?” she asked in his general direction, but Dr.Iplier was already gone. He was just joking… Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi 
> 
> I know it’s a short chapter this time, but I wanted to put something out there. If you’re new to the story, please leave a kudo and a comment. 
> 
> Thank you everyone! and stay safe!


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